<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Potation at Ying by mikkimikka</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27190597">Potation at Ying</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikkimikka/pseuds/mikkimikka'>mikkimikka</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hunter X Hunter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Autumn, Family, Gen, Half-Siblings, No Spoilers, One Shot, Pre-Canon, Royalty, Underage Drinking</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 04:16:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,897</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27190597</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikkimikka/pseuds/mikkimikka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prince Halkenburg enjoys the quiet time he has with his older half-brother Tserriednich. His half-sisters Kacho and Fugetsu are an unwanted addition.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kacho Hui Guo Rou &amp; Fugetsu Hui Guo Rou, Tserriednich Hui Guo Rou &amp; Halkenburg Hui Guo Rou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>HxHween Madness 2020 Collection</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Potation at Ying</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Princes weren't meant to babysit. They had staff for that. However, it was one of those rare occurrences when the bachelor pad the 4<sup>th</sup> and 9<sup>th</sup> princes Tserriednich and Halkenburg had made of their father's Ying estate became burdened by the visit of one of his many wives. This time it was Queen Seiko and her daughters who thought to intrude upon them. The girls were deposited without a single thought as she went into the city to attend to whatever it is she'd come to Ying to accomplish.</p><p>For years Prince Halkenburg had made it a habit to, when not working, spend his days at Ying with his older half brother. It had started as just summers, Halkenburg would enjoy riding and shooting near the lake while Tserriednich would spend his reading and drinking wine upon the terrace. Those summers grew longer with each stay until the autumn eventually fell into a winter that bloomed into spring. Everything was mild there and adequately suited to Halkenburg's temperament.</p><p>With the arrival of Queen Seiko and the 10<sup>th</sup> and 11<sup>th</sup> princes, that daily routine Tserriednich and Halkenburg built together had been dashed apart. Of course, the two older princes didn't have to stay with their half-sisters, but Kacho and Fugetsu, Halkenburg forgot which was the 10<sup>th</sup> or the 11<sup>th</sup> prince, were in their space, not the other way around, and the two men refused to budge on principle.</p><p>Their half-sisters turned nuisance sat in the drawing-room with them, bent over a shared book on the couch. As they examined the tome, their feet curled under them in mirrored poses. They were twins, fraternal, but spent so much time together their mannerisms appeared to the untrained eye identical.</p><p>The morning conversation had been dominated by the sounds of their shrill voices, excitedly discussing the book all about the United States of Saherta, a place he knew neither of them had ever been. He caught bits and pieces of their dialogue consisting of the sights and what they would do if Kakin had anything like it. It was a boring and tedious conversation, even just to overhear. Plodding along it consisted of pumpkin spice, falling leaves, fresh apple cider, and alpaca knit sweaters.</p><p>Tserriednich seemed to have enough of it as well. Seated upon his chair by the window, with a leg crossed over the other the 4<sup>th</sup> prince's index finger was curled along the edge of the pages of his own book, riffling through it impatiently. His other hand held a cigarette, the smoke wafting away with the breeze. He addressed the room directly.</p><p>“Would you ladies like a drink?” he asked, finally, turning away from the window.</p><p>He looked at each girl squarely in the face as if he hadn't been hitherto ignoring their mere presence. Fugetsu had the decency to meet his gaze.</p><p>“Why, thank you very much, Prince Tserriednich,” Fugetsu replied. “But we usually take tea at 10.”</p><p>“Tea?” Prince Tserriednich asked. “Didn't I just hear you say you wanted to experience autumn like in Saherta?”</p><p>Fugetsu tilted her head, obviously wondering where the line of questioning would lead. Kacho beside her raised her head as well.</p><p>“We could always take tea,” went on the 4<sup>th</sup> prince, “But we have apple cider if you'd like to try it. It's in season right now, so I had Sahertan apples imported in.”</p><p>“From Saherta?” Fugetsu's voice was still small, but laced with an obvious interest that betrayed her thoughts.</p><p>Prince Kacho regarded the older man with clear disdain. Her otherwise delicate features were marred with her distrust but her greed for all things exotic won her over.</p><p>“Well, it would be rude to decline. It's not every day one gets to drink Sahertan cider after all,” she replied.</p><p>“Oh, of course,” nodded Tserriednich in agreement. “Nothing but the best. You will enjoy it.”</p><p>Halkenburg did nothing but quirk his brow, wondering exactly what his older half brother was up to. He knew precisely which batch of Sahertan cider the man-made reference to. It had just been made the previous day and they'd planned to drink it together, but he didn't think sharing with the girls would end up part of the plan.</p><p>Several minutes later, however, when a servant arrived with a tray bearing the load of the cider, it all became clear to him. The cups placed on the table looked normal enough. Steam wafted from warm cups of cider each decorated with a star of anise, stick of cinnamon, and a slice of apple.</p><p>Prince Tserriedrich had spiked the cider. Prince Halkenburg merely watched. His eyes followed as their little sisters cooed over the display, Fugetsu the most outwardly pleased, her eyes sparkling like a reflection of the sun. An excited titter passed between the two girls.</p><p>“Is it all that you imagined?” Tserriednich asked, standing up from his seat by the window to approach the table.</p><p>He took a seat beside Halkenburg.</p><p>“It looks even better, Prince Tserriednich,” replied Fugetsu. “Even better than the one in the book.”</p><p>Tserriednich raised a brow, “Oh?”</p><p>Prince Kacho fumbled with the book, flipping to the correct page and presenting to her two brothers a photograph of a simple apple cider, this one garnished with apples and oranges. It looked good, but even Halkenburg had to admit that the one in front of them had greater appeal. Ying's private chef was good at embellishments; he had to be to please someone as meticulous as Tserriednich.</p><p>“I hope it tastes as good as it looks,” she said, placing the book aside.</p><p>“It does,” Tserrienich assured her. “It's actually Halkenburg's favorite recipe.”</p><p>Both sisters looked towards their fair-headed brother.</p><p>“Oh, of course. I turned him onto it actually,” Halkenburg explained. “It was indispensable during the autumn months at university.”</p><p>“Pfft, I forgot you're a big nerd,” Kacho said.</p><p>“Ladies,” Prince Tserriednich cut in and gestured towards the drinks.</p><p>Kacho and Fugetsu both grabbed a mug and the men did as well.</p><p>“A toast.”</p><p>Halkenburg raised his mug and the girls did too with an awkward pause before they drank.</p><p>The first sip was divine and Halkenburg closed his eyes to the sensation. Warmth and spice lapped across his tongue and with that first swallow continued to spread like a blossom within his stomach. With a satisfied sigh, he opened his eyes and was met with the twisted features of his younger siblings.</p><p>There were three teenagers there, but Halkenburg, currently at the cusp of 18, felt so much older at that moment. It showed in the way Kacho's lips pinched and Fugetu's eyes narrowed at the taste of the rum. There was a perceivable gap between himself and his sisters, always had been. But it was probably because of Halkenburg chasing after his older siblings all his days, further exacerbated by his entering university at 15, and already working. The girls, on the other hand, 4 years his junior, kept to themselves or played with Prince Momoze and little Prince Marayam. They were like little babes compared to Halkenburg, that much had become apparent.</p><p>“Bleh, what was that!?” Kacho asked, pulling the mug away from her.</p><p>“It's cider,” replied Tserriednich, tone even.</p><p>“It tastes weird,” Kacho's nose remained scrunched.</p><p>“It tastes...” Fugetsu paused and took another sip, a small one. “Like... medicine.”</p><p>Halkenburg couldn't help but laugh at that. It came out as an exhale, but at the sight of Kacho and Fugetsu's twin expressions of confusion, he couldn't help but laugh harder.</p><p>“It's alcohol,” Halkenburg explained. “Rum.”</p><p>“Alcohol? But we're underaged,” Kacho said, white hands curling into fists.</p><p>“It's no problem if it's in our home,” Tserriednich replied.</p><p>He was a prince and even if he wasn't above the law he knew it well. He knew for a fact Halkenburg had been drinking since their current age of 14. Tserriednich himself started around the same age as well, indulging in a glass of wine with dinner.</p><p>“Our mother never let us--” Fugetsu began but was interrupted with another laugh from Halkenburg.</p><p>“Oh, shut up!” Kacho said to him.</p><p>“Why should I?” Halkenburg asked. “And besides, you should finish your drinks. Prince Tserriednich spent a pretty penny to import it you know.”</p><p>“Since when did you care what comes cheap or not?” scoffed Kacho in return.</p><p>It was true, he didn't care. There was no need for any of them to, but it was worth a shot. Tserriednich lost interest. Less patient than his younger brother he returned to his window with his drink in hand. He lit another cigarette.</p><p>“Katty,” Prince Fugetsu scolded her sister in a low tone. “Be nice.”</p><p>“Why should I? They're no one special. Fu-fu, let's go have our tea.”</p><p>“Tea, when you have a perfectly fine beverage in front of you?” Halkenburg asked.</p><p>Kacho stood without a word further and went for the door. Fugetsu sighed and set down her mug, unfinished.</p><p>“Please excuse us,” Fugetsu said. “We'll take our tea in the garden.”</p><p>She made to withdraw as well, taking care to address both of her older half brothers with rehearsed politeness that meant nothing below the surface. She bowed to them both.</p><p>“Thank you, Prince Tserriednich, Prince Halkenburg.”</p><p>And then she and Kacho were out the door, leaving near full mugs of cider and their book behind. Prince Halkenburg chuckled and picked up Kacho's leftover drink and the book.</p><p>“Seasons of Saherta,” he read aloud as he joined his older brother by the windowsill.</p><p>It was a travel book filled with the most fashionable hotspots. Tips for shopping, dining, and sightseeing throughout the year filled its pages, followed by a glossary of common Sahertan phrases broken down phonetically into Kakin script.</p><p>“How dull of them."</p><p>Halkenburg handed Tserriednich Prince Kacho's drink which the older prince took, having already finished his first one.</p><p>“If only they'd had been a little more interesting, this could have been fun,” lamented Tserriednich. “The women of this family are so vapid.”</p><p>Prince Halkenburg wasn't quite sure yet if he agreed with his half-brother's assessment, but he no doubt preferred his company to that of anyone else in the family. Of that he was sure. Halkenburg relished the distance Ying put between himself and his own mother and sister, Prince Tsubeppa, who nagged him incessantly about his studies. Prince Camilla, who ignored him, was even worse in her frivolousness. That's what he liked about the 4<sup>th</sup> prince. Tsubeppa insisted Tserriednich was a bad influence; Halkenburg rejected such notions. Tserriednich wasn't like the others and understood Halkenburg on another level. He possessed an intellectual curiosity to match his own.</p><p>It was because of this mutual understanding, that Halkenburg knew how Tserriednich felt in the drawing-room that day. It really was the principle of the matter. Ying was their sanctuary and it having been breeched was an unpleasant distraction to the delicate nest the two had built for their own comfort. The men were glad to be rid of the perceived intrusion, at peace in their own world.</p><p>Contentedly Halkenburg nursed Prince Fugetsu's forfeited beverage. From the drawing-room window, he observed the 10<sup>th</sup> and 11<sup>th</sup> princes enter the garden. The dark-haired Fugetsu chatted animatedly in a way he had never once seen from her before. Prince Kacho laughed – like a chime, the impression of it reverberated through the wind.</p><p> </p><p>-END-</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Written for HxH Halloween event. The randomly generated prompt words I got were in no way shape or form spooky (spiked cider, pumpkin spice, sweaters) and this was born of it!</p><p>Thanks so much for reading. I can't believe this is my second fic about the Kakin princes. I really like them but I don't think I did them justice. It was fun though. I imagine this being like 5 or so years before the actual events of the manga. Ages for them are headcanon so this is what they are in this time of this fic:</p><p>Tserriednich 24<br/>Halkenburg 17/18<br/>Kacho and Fugetsu 14<br/>Momoze 11<br/>Marayam 4</p><p>Lol i wasn't really explicit about it here but I headcanon that at that age Halkenburg is enamored/infatuated with big bro Tser. Also, I called him his full name this entire fic because I can't find any evidence any of the princes shorten his name! Correct me if I'm wrong.</p><p>Anyway~ Thanks again for reading and any feedback would be great especially if you love the princes too!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>